Pete Mandley Will Serve as Sideline Announcer on Lumberjack Radio Network on Sept. 11

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Former Northern Arizona football player Pete Mandley played seven seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver, punt and kickoff returner and remains one of the most successful student-athletes in NAU football history.  Standing 5-10 and 190 pounds during his football career, Mandley made up for his lack of size with hard work and determination, skills that he still employs today.

An Arizona native, Mandley was born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz., by his mother and moved to Mesa with his father where he was introduced to athletics. 

"In moving from Phoenix to Mesa, I remember everybody was involved in sports," Mandley said.  "My dad came back into my life and he was residing in Mesa so I started living with him.  Through him and the friendships I developed, I got involved in sports. 

"I had never played football and didn't know anything about football.  Ninth grade was the first time I put on shoulder pads.   At the end of my season at Carson Junior High as a ninth grader, I did not receive any recognition come awards time.  I was discouraged and that was deciding factor for me early on.  Once that happened, I went to work." 

Mandley attended Westwood High School where he excelled on the football field.  As he became more successful, college football programs began to take notice. 

"I never had any intention of playing college football and didn't know if there would be an opportunity to even go to the next level and play professional sports," Mandley said.  "There were a lot of potential scholarships to go here or go there, but Northern Arizona was the only one to send me a scholarship in the mail.  That meant all the difference to me.  They had sent me a full scholarship when others were talking about partials or potential scholarships.  That is how I ended up at Northern Arizona." 

The transition from high school to college is difficult for any student, and initially, Pete Mandley struggled to find his way balancing academics and athletics. 

"At first it was difficult," Mandley recalled.  "Coming from the greater Phoenix area to up north was tough.  I had never seen snow or been exposed to it so that was an adjustment.  I had to realize, 'I am an adult now.  The onus is on me.  I don't have mom or dad to wake me up.  I need to get to class.'  It was tough at first. 

"I started to take my schooling serious and began to see the rewards relative to being a great student-athlete.  That is when things started to fall into place, and I prioritized what was important in my college career." 

Mandley played four seasons for the Lumberjacks with a redshirt year after his sophomore season in 1981.  Along with numerous achievements, awards, and accolades on the field, Mandley graduated with a degree in speech communication in 1984. 

That spring, Mandley was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the NFL Draft as the 52nd overall pick.  

"It was a dream come true," Mandley said of reaching the professional level.  "The Cleveland Browns contacted me first but it was the Detroit Lions that called and said, 'We are going to take you and not let you off the phone.'  So I stayed on the phone for about two hours till the pick came up.  Once the pick came, I saw my name scrolling across the television.  It was an amazing feeling." 

The jump from college to professional football was a challenge, but just as he had done throughout his life, Mandley battled adversity and persevered. 

"It was rough coming from a smaller school like Northern Arizona University," Mandley said.  "We would have our meetings prior to games and guys would talk about playing Miami or Notre Dame this week.  They would ask, 'Pete, who are you guys playing?'  I would say someone like Weber State and they would say, 'Who is that?'  So it was rough for me.  At that time, NAU was not as well known.  That has changed now.  But during the time I played it was difficult to prove I belonged, and I questioned whether or not I did belong. 

"Ultimately the person that got me through it was none other than Billy Sims.  He caught me at the 50-yard line in the Pontiac Silverdome my rookie season and said, 'We see the talent and you are going to be OK.  Don't be frustrated.'  He decided to take me under his wing and once he instilled the confidence in me that the talent was there, the rest was elementary." 

Mandley played five seasons with the Lions and two with the Kansas City Chiefs working his way onto the field in numerous roles.  As a wide receiver, he finished his career with 172 receptions, 2,370 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns.  As a returner, Mandley totaled 4,559 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns on punt returns. 

But at age 29, Mandley was out of football.  He needed to once again transition towards another course facing new obstacles and challenges.  This time though, it would be without the sport that had been a part of his identity for so long.  Shortly after his career ended, he remembers resenting the game of football.   

"For awhile, I kind of hated sports," Mandley remarked.  "You give it your all; reach the highest point at the professional level, and then one day it ends.  If you have not prepared for the end it is a difficult pill to swallow.  There are no programs out there to prepare professional athletes for the time when no one wants your autograph, you are no longer popular, and no one knows who you are.  There needs to be some form of transformation that prepares you for life after football.  I am not talking economically, but socially.  There are a lot of guys that identify themselves with football and when you take that away there is no identification.  In my case, there was a spell when I didn't like football or sports period." 

Since that time, Mandley has applied the same hard work and determination he used to become a professional football player towards his entrepreneurial endeavors.  At 49, Mandley owns and operates five businesses in the Phoenix area.  He runs Golden Gull Limo Service, Hairadize Hair Salon, Game Plan Tattoo, Web Media Online Marketing, and his latest venture, Leonardo's Da Vincci Code Night Club. 

"I stay really occupied with my businesses and there is always something for me to do," said Mandley.  "The ability to fund and finance these businesses was based upon playing seven years in the National Football League, but attributed to my experiences at Westwood High School and NAU.  I appreciate the jumpstart in life NAU gave me with an education and the exposure I was able to gain through NAU to reach the National Football League."

Along with his wife Teresa S. Mandley, Pete Mandley is the proud father of eight children: DeJhown, Treazure, Cashea, Danero, Mink, Arianna, Justice, and Giovanni.  His oldest, DeJhown, played college football at UNLV and one season with the Miami Dolphins.  He currently works with his father managing the family business.  Mandley also has two children at Arizona State and more on the way ready to enter higher education. 

"I am very proud of them," Mandley said.  "I don't try and push my will on my kids.  I want them to make the decisions because it is their life and they have to live it.  But I want all my children to find success." 

Pete Mandley has already experienced a lifetime of success and failure, both of which drive him to achieve and continue pushing forward towards the next phase of his life. 

"It doesn't matter where you go," Mandley said.  "It is what you do where you are.  It doesn't matter if you are at Notre Dame or Northern Arizona.  Take care of your business in the classroom first and foremost and the chips will fall where they may.  We can all find motivation through adversity or triumph.  In my case, it was always being the smallest, going to a small school, and having some issues that propelled me to want to achieve more.  In some sense I am an overachiever, and I don't think that is going to change."

DID YOU KNOW…The Northern Arizona University athletics department ranked 78th to place among the Top 100 in the final Learfield Sports Directors' Cup standings. NAU ranked among the top 100 schools for the seventh time in the last eight seasons and 12th overall in the last 14 years.